28 October 1955 “Question and Answer: Part One of Three”

I received a letter from a follower that asked the following:

As a part of my literary journalism subject, i have to complete a 6000 word feature story about a topic, utilizing both primary and secondary research.

I think that what you are doing with your blog is amazing and i commend you on your efforts! It is quite my accident i stumbled upon your blog whilst doing some research for my story. I want to focus my story on the 1950's fashion and how it was reflective of women's evolution during that time (post WWII). I would love to be able to talk to you about why you are spending the entire year living in 1955 and why you have chosen this year and what you have discovered.

I have a million questions I'd love to ask you - how people have reacted to you doing this, how it has impacted on your life, are you happier etc.

I was honored that she should think of me and I have therefore (with her permission) included her questions and my answers. I found it an interesting way to look back at this year and thought you might enjoy it as blog posts. There are 21 questions in all, so I am going to break them up over a few posts over the next three days.

As you know I can get a bit ‘wordy’ so it is rather long, so I want to do it as three posts of the questions and my answers. I hope you find it interesting and not too long winded.

• What inspired you to start this project?

Looking back now I can actually find deeper reasons for this need to return to a time period in which I never actually lived. A need to find myself in a way that I did not yet understand. Initially, I found myself drawn to the 1950s through the fashion and pop iconography as well as films of the era. It also has many preconceived ideas, at least in this country when you say 1950’s, many people have similar ideas and images. I wanted to test those ideas and assumptions and see what I found. I was not to be disappointed.

I have always had an affinity for the past. I love history and all its facets. I think many of us have read historical fiction and thought, “What if I could live then?” Although I adore the 19th century, the more I read and looked at the pop iconography and media on mid 20th century America, the more I became intrigued. It became apparent that with a few minor exceptions (computer, modern cars) I could, for the most part, really re-create 1955. Even now, thinking upon the idea gives me goose bumps.

I had seen reality shows address various time periods and was sometimes amazed at how modern the people remained within the constraints of the ‘past’. Somehow, I felt I could do it better. I had actually seen another blog of a young lady trying to relive 1950’s but she found herself really challenged and psychologically I think it was too much for her, perhaps it was because she was also a young mother. For me, I am childless. So, with a pliable husband and a willing friend (she was to become Gussie our sometimes maid) I forged ahead and have not looked back.

Now having lived as best I could in 1955 for almost a year, I have to see this choice had its own elements of psychology for me. It has changed me and challenged me in ways I never thought. Though the initial concern was wearing the clothes etc, the reality of it became the learning and skills involved in being a 1955 Homemaker, skills I now cherish and to which I wish to add.

Why the 1950’s?

Again, as I had initially found, it seemed a decade not too unlike our own in terms of technology. No home computers, but phones, cars, TV, Magazines, Dishwashers, Washer and Dryers.

Of course, this is the American version of 1950’s. I have come to find out how much this decade for Europe and other countries was in fact still very restricted with rationing continuing and very little money. But, in my country, it was  sort of re-birth  or Renaissance of the middle class. A new middle-class was coming of age. A home for every returning G.I. with a postage stamp lawn to garden and barbeque, a new car in the drive, 2.5 kids, a dog, the club, PTA; the whole epitomized reality that we now make fun of or aspire to. This American middle class concept was new and shiny.

There was certainly a middle class in America before that, but the 19th century middle class was vastly different and even exclusive of  blue collar workers or laborers. One needed to be somewhat educated or have a certain type of job. Rather a bank clerk or a lawyer, you could be various degrees of middle class, but in post WWII America, a car mechanic, a laborer, could be middle class. There was an equality to it that had not really existed before the war, I think.

I have  become so intrigued by this decade, as I do feel it was,  culturally and political, a turning point for out country. I have almost become defensive of it and its generation, as we are now mainly lead to believe that the 1960s were the liberating decade. When really the 1950’s saw many changes occur that lead into the 1960s. Rosa Parks this year, 1955, will refuse to sit on the back of the bus. There were already white picket lines pointing out the ridiculous attitude of “no blacks at the counters” in cafe’s. The overall sense of unity and a new world that occurred during this time really was the beginning of the equality we still strive for today.

Certainly, when taken out of context in the modern world, the 1950’s can seem such a time of  constriction and oppression, but put into its place not so far from, say 1900, it was a very free time. Many people were getting better jobs and wages, as I said the middle class was more open and available, and the idea that the color or our skin or our sex determined our abilities was already being questioned in a LARGE way compared to say 1910.

• What is it that fascinates you about this era?

I really feel that we sort of stood on the precipice of  a great choice in the 1950s. Post war technology and medicine began to grow so rapidly and after all the bloodshed of the war, I think the human condition was uppermost in most peoples minds.

Somehow, though, we had a chance to embrace it all and move towards an equality that I think was very American. Yet, I feel our choice went towards what we could HAVE rather than what we could DO. This was a time when the political world was poised, through tv and such media, to really take it’s control.

It is funny to me that in the beginning of the 1950’s McCarthyism  and fear of Socialism and Communism seems to really have been used to keep we Americans in a state of fear that somehow molded us into consumers. I am actually baffled today that we do not think anything of bailing out huge companies that were failing (though they failed us in outsourcing and closing local factories to move overseas) but we still stumble when it comes to healthcare. The very right of every US citizen to be healthy. It would seem, after the carnage of WWII that healthcare for all would have been important.

Of course, at this point in time the cost of healthcare and the large growth of the insurance companies and the increase mentality of ‘lawsuits’ had not come about. But, it was the beginning.

So, this time almost has a magical moment, I think, particularly for American’s because it seems to be that point in time when we could have taken one of two paths. Yet, it is still close enough to living memory that somehow we could get back some of the good. We could have technology, modern things AND humanity. That is what I hope we can begin to realize and I honestly think study and showing the truth of this decade could help modern people to start making choices that will lead to a better America and one that is in fact more true to our countries original intent.

 

• What has the response been from family and friends for your decision to spend the year in the 1950’s?

Well, my husband took it in stride. I have a lucky marriage in that my hubby and I are both creative (he writes and plays piano) and are big ‘thinkers and philosophizers’. We have done various things seen odd by friends. We once both quit our jobs, bought a sailboat and did that for six months. So, this was just another adventure: He as the middle class business man, I the happy homemaker. We have both fell rather easily into our roles, much to the surprise of a few people, I think.

I actually had an odd instance in that one of my close friendships was sort of lost due to my experiment. This particular friend was so excited by my project that she would even visit me in 1950s garb, go  girdle shopping together, and she began to talk of her own wish to be a homemaker. Unfortunately, through a series of events that I am still unclear of, she broke off from me. There was no discussion. I heard through a mutual friend that she was upset about a post I had written concerning modern video games, though she herself did not read it. She took it the wrong way. We are now starting to resume our friendship. I have come to realize that many of the realities of was coming to know questioned her self and place in the world in a way she was not, and is still not, ready to accept or consider. I was surprised by it.

I have also felt sometimes by various friends a sort of “Oh, how cute what you are doing” in a sort of thinly veiled guise of, ‘How silly’. But, as I have stuck to it and really do outwardly act and feel different, I think most people now just accept it as fact about me.

• What’s the most important thing you have learnt?

I have learned so much. Being rather prosaic, I will rant on about them here, but I think the most important thing I learned was the importance of Self-reliability and concern for the world in which I live. Really, I have learned MATURITY.

In many ways, I feel my eyes are so open to the modern world because of this project. Even my concept of the new “green” way of thinking was challenged. I found the very act of consuming less and really reusing and repairing and saving was just a normal part of the past while our modern response to it is to buy MORE products that will somehow lead us to less waste, which of course is ridiculous.

It is odd that I needed to travel to 1955 in order to better understand 2009. It was a trip worth taking, however.

 

Tomorrow, I will post more of the questions and answers, I hope you enjoy it and not find it too wordy.

26 October 1955 “What I Learned From My VICTORY WEEK and more”

This is an advert for a lower end Plymouth. I wonder what happened to the bench seat? Did it disappear because of some sort of safety reason? Was it to keep the woman from sitting snuggled to the man, as you see in old movies, in case of an accident? Does anyone know? I have to say it looks so much more comfortable and practical than bucket seats, and boy do you lose things down between the seat and console, at least I always seem to.

So, VICTORY WEEK has ended and here are some of the things I learned. First off, I can be even more inventive than I had already thought. At the end of the week, for a dessert, I had a few apples and some butter left, but not enough for a pie, so of course Baked apples. This recipe was actually quite nice as it felt very ‘apple pie’-ish and yet much lower calorie without all the crust!

CRUSTY BAKED APPLES

4 Tart apples, cored

2 TBS butter

1 TBS flour

1/4 cup brown sugar (I actually use white sugar and put a little molasses drizzled.  I know only make my own brown sugar with one tbs molasses to every one cup sugar. It is cheaper and it allows me to have molasses in the house for other reasons without buying that and brown sugar)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste

Pare apples half way down. Put in baking dish, pared side up. Melt butter. Stir in flour and mis well. Add sugar and vanilla. SPread over apples. sprinkle with cinnamon etc. Bake at 425 until crust is set. Lower temperature to 350. Bake until apples are tender (about 30 mins.)

I also noticed that, as I had mentioned before, I can stretch the amount of meat we eat even further with really not too much notice from hubby. I found myself eating less for breakfast, as well, as I would give up my rations for hubby since he had to have energy for his day of work, while I could always have a midmorning snack of say bread crust and jam.

I have to say that I surprised myself and feel that, though I do not want to deprive myself, there could be at least one week a month where I really trim back the groceries and not have it hurt too much. In fact, I am going to readjust our budget to a weekly budget from a monthly budget (A tip I learned from one of the films I showed you) so, in so doing I will enable myself one week a month to have a little extra from the grocery budget to either store away in a ‘Kitchen Emergency Fund’. I figure this fund could be like the Kitchen’s Pin Money, so one week if I have spent the budget for groceries but realized I forgot flour or something, I can steal it form there. Or, if there is something for hubby’s work where I need to bake extra or make something for he to take to work, it could come from there. I might, being of the artistic bent, make a darling little container out of an old cigar box or jar decorated to keep somewhere in the kitchen. So, budget-wise I feel VICTORY WEEK helped there.

As I had mentioned before, it also made me think more about my garbage. When you have your cupboards more bare (and I tried to stick to what I had for the week without taking from the pantry to get a more ‘rationed’ experience)you think more about what you throw away. I have already, since 1955, done this more. Most things are saved for future meals or for the dogs etc. But, bread crusts, or half eaten toast began to look like future meal filler. I don’t throw much food away, but sometimes at breakfast if hubby didn’t eat all of his egg, but part of it (and the dog’s won’t eat it, they are very picky) it would get tossed. I found myself saving it in a Tupperware to add to ‘cottage pie’ later in the week. Some would think, “Oh, no, germs, that’s garbage'” But it was only my hubby and I eating it, so it wasn’t as if I was giving it to company. Really, the level to which we waste food is becoming even more appalling to me. I can’t imagine in nursing homes and public schools and hospitals what they must throw away!

I also began to think how during the War, the country could rally together against a common enemy and work to ‘Save for Victory’ “Garden for Victory” etc and how, now that we do realize how much we waste and hurt the planet etc, how that some sort of common goal of “Unified Victory” could really work to make all our lives better, but that in our modern Consumer drive world of big box stores and etc really controlling the government through lobbyists, how that could never happen. It really got me thinking that if in the new year, if one of my ‘projects’ is to promote more community and to see if you ladies would, in your own communities, want to foster your own “Vintage Club/Apron Revolution” clubs a sort of Vintage Junior League, maybe we could, ourselves, help with such ideas. When ladies come together we can often accomplish a lot. Especially since, even in the modern world, the government and many still very male-driven organizations wouldn’t even notice us. We would just be groups of nice ladies in hats and gloves having charity teas, but how honestly such an Apron Revolution could really help us locally. Posters, meetings, bake sales, etc all to help us become aware of how to not waste, how to scrimp and manage our money, how to repair and use old and not continually buy buy buy and throw away. I think it just sounds such a lovely idea. I am not sure how we can go about it as of yet, but I DO know it will be part of my New Year Project.

You see, the one main element I felt during the VICTORY WEEK was the lack of camaraderie that must have existed amongst those women who had to ‘get along and get to business’. We have one another here online and I am glad for that, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could foster it in our own communities as well? It seems a little intimidating to me as well and yet I feel driven enough to try it somehow. So, the idea of community, thrift and waste really were driven home from one week. It is amazing how when you really just approach a day  more alive or awake to your actions how you really feel in control of your life and empowered in a way to make it better for yourself. I mean, when I ran out of things during VICTORY WEEK I had to make do. I had to stop and think and manage something out of it. It really made me feel, even more, that the mind and imagination are one of the prime tools of a homemaker and so needed to achieve our ACTION!

I also, more than ever, really found that the kitchen really is a mix between a science laboratory, art studio, and Think Tank. If you have the right BASIC ingredients, you can make just about anything! From Glue to Bread to Window cleaner, so buying pre-made is really, even more so, going to be uppermost in my mind.

So, VICTORY WEEK had made me make the following concrete changes to my routine.

1. One week out of the month is a VICTORY WEEK (I will cut my weekly budget in half and buy what I can with that and make d0 and the rest goes into my darling decorated “Kitchen Pin Money” box/jar

2.Less Waste. Before anything, food or other (such as my dryer lint) goes in the garbage I stop and think, “Is there ANY use for this, or can I make this product myself so I don’t have this box/bottle/container to throw away?

3.The idea of community. To share my findings (as I do here) but in some form in the new year within my own community.

So, all in all, I would say VICTORY WEEK was really a success for me. I feel now as if I can take every challenge head on and rather I fail or not, I know I will learn something. I think that is one of the main lessons learned this year, that doing more and trying to challenge yourself doesn’t lead to disappointment or frustration, but to liberation and empowerment. I can make my own jam, wear the pretty dress, clean, organize and save. Do I miss the time I don’t have for hours of TV or mindless shopping? NO.

Now, I think along with being a homemaker and learning to budget and save and manage, another element is as important. It is another thing I think really lacking from the modern world and one that certainly could easily be reintroduced. The idea of glamour. Feeling pretty and well groomed. Even if you don’t aspire to vintage clothes, there are many pretty modern ‘nice or fancy clothes’ that deserve a daily wearing. I think this coming week I will try and focus on some beauty ideas and tips. I need to get some get photos of simple hairstyles I now wear. Having short hair and bangs allows so many different ways to wear hair and so much easier to care for than long straight in your face locks. It seems as if even the creativity in ones hairstyles is gone. A person gets a cut and style and that is it everyday. With the right cut (one you can even maintain yourself ladies to save on your budget) you can have different styles for different occasions and still feel ‘movie star’ gorgeous throughout the day, even if only the grocer or the dog sees you. You deserve to be pretty for YOURSELF and as it becomes more of your daily life, you will WANT to go out and mingle and ‘show it off’ more.

I also want to share in tomorrow’s post an interesting thing. One of my followers, I believe she lives in Australia, is writing a paper and wants me to answer a series of questions for her. I am, with her permission of course, to post the questions and my answers as the next post. I think it should be interesting. I am hoping when she finishes her paper she could somehow link the final result for us to read.

I fogot, a commenter gave these wonderful tips on stretching milk and butter. I have not tried it yet, but am going to. Here they are:

"Speaking of stretching and conserving. I thought I would pass along a couple little hints first,about butter. (since you mentioned butter in this post) Here's a very inexpensive way to "stretch" your butter. (this only works with butter NOT margarine) Let one stick of butter come to room temperature. Put it in a bowl with 1/4 cup of canola oil (good for you) mix with electric mixer till the oil is incorporated in the butter. Then slowly add 1/4 cup of cold water to the butter while the continuing to mix with electric mixer. Mix until creamy and smooth. Store in the door of the fridge and it will be softer to spread then regular butter. (I do a pound of butter at a time...4 sticks of butter, 1 C. oil, 1 C. cold water = 2 lbs. butter!)

Also, stretch a gallon of milk cheaply too. Split a gallon of milk between 2 gallon jugs. Add one can of evaporated milk to each jug and fill with water. TaDa...2 gallons of milk! Or if you are down to a half a gallon, add a can of evaporated milk and fill with water...you now have a gallon of milk again!"

24 October 1955 “Tea Parties and Buffet Suppers”

I have not found my usual time to post my blog today. I would like to discuss the end of VICTORY WEEK and share some recipes, but for this Saturday night, I offer you up these helpful movies about “Arranging a Tea Party” and “The Buffet Supper”. I found them, though simple, rather helpful and fun; just a reinforcement of common sense.

Let me know what you think. Perhaps, in the future, we should propose a tea party day a month, or buffet supper for friends or  something along those lines. We could try and get back into such habits and share recipes, ideas, and outcomes.

Next, is a movie laying out a Buffet Supper. I love that they show a younger woman asking and learning from an older woman. She could be a wise neighbor or a parent or grandparent. Buffet suppers can be nice for holiday parties, such as tree trimming or cookie baking party, since a more formal sit down meal would most likely be left for actual Day of the Holiday. What do you think of the advice, silly or helpful?

 

22 October “Some News and Vintage Week Thus Far”

This is the New Yorker cover from today 22 October 1955. I think it very telling of what is coming our way. The increasing technology and impending waste. Here you can see the old Victoria, the old 30’s radio and now the mad is carrying up his out of date TV set with the tiny little screen. Flash forward and replace the attic with a landfill and welcome to our future.

This Time from 17 October features Ed Sullivan. A new force in tv.

Tonight in 1955 CBS would broadcast in color for the first time and did this production with Mary Martin and Noel Coward. Unfortunately I can only find the b/w version of the show, but good anyway. Here is a clip of Mary Martin and then one of Noel Coward.

I thought I should report on VICTORY WEEK thus far. I have to say I am surprised by a few things this week. First off, I felt maybe the list was rather sparse, but was surprised when it cost similar to what I had been spending, but I did include prices for things that I would not buy every week. I have noticed, much to my surprise, that I have not starved nor felt slighted as of yet.

I think the biggest fear was only one dozen eggs. Obviously, however, were it 1940s wartime I would most likely have chickens and therefore have more eggs at my disposal. I, myself, have kept chickens until our move (I am building a new chicken house come spring for new chicks) so would have them. However, I bought the dozen eggs and said I will stick with it.

The first move I made to conserve these precious eggs was at breakfast. Every morning (seven days a week) I prepare a ‘full’ breakfast for hubby and I. Sometimes it is waffles or pancakes or your basic egg bacon toast. Whatever it is, there is always eggs involved. So, this week, I did what I would have done during wartime, gave up some of my own eggs. Now, my hubby most likely would have been off fighting, but had I a child or grandparent at home (the role my hubby is sort of serving for this week’s project) I would give over my rations to them. So, at breakfast with eggs, he gets his usual two eggs over easy with toast, bacon while I chose to have one toast and black coffee. The result of this is that I realize, I can eat less. I think I may actually have dropped a pound or so this week due to my choosing to just eat half of what I would normally eat at breakfast to conserve our supplies. In so doing I realized, I was not hungry at all and therefore have been overeating. No surprise there, as I do need to drop some pounds. It was a nice realization and an interesting way to gradually lower my food intake. By focusing on the project at hand and not on ‘I am on a diet’ (which techinically I wasn’t) I just have begun to show my body I am giving it less.

Next, I have noticed that even with my already reduced amount of groceries since this project (which is the opposite of what I had anticipated thinking “Oh, I will be cooking all the time and baking so I will be buying so many groceries”)I can do with even less.

For example, the meat supply. Since I bought probably half the amount I would normally get for the week for this VICTORY WEEK, I have had to conserve it. I have found that the amount of meat I would normally serve, say a chop or steak each for the two of us can be cut in half and even more so. When I take a chop that would have served one of us and cut it up and serve it with potatoes or rice mixture or bake it in a dinner pie, I don’t need as much and yet we don’t feel we are doing without! My husband has not said he is hungry at all and it seems he too has lost some weight this week (he is already thin and loses weight without effort, so unfair!) In fact, he often gets comments at work for his lunches which are leftovers or made up of leftovers. His co workers are amazed when he had a side dish of a fresh made cabbage dish, etc.

I had also imagined my reduced butter amount would be hard, but I have not made as many desserts (better for the waist) and what I do make is more precious and therefore we eat less, eat slower and savor it over a cup of coffee (also a luxury during the war, I imagine)

So, here I am again, expecting what you would think from the modern perspective, “Oh, no, cut back our food, no way. We would starve and I am not going to torture my family” When really, as Americans, I believe we eat far too large portions already. I have heard Europeans remark on our restaurant portions before in amazement at the quantity.

This week has again cemented for me the homemakers (and really anyone in any aspect of life) best tool, Imagination. They do say Necessity is the Mother of Invention and when the chips are down and you just don’t have something and you say to yourself, “No, I am not going to go out and just buy it right now” you make do.

I found that white sauce is a great extender to things. Any sort of gravies extend what meat you have and make a fun and delicious and filling meal. Here is a fun realization one of our commenter's (she was anon or I would give her name) realized.

Out of desperation one day, I made the cheese sauce and instead of macaroni, I had gotten two heads (really good price) of cauliflower, making, of course cauliflower with cheese sauce. I served it with rice. Surprise. It was good and filling as a meal, but not very colorful. (I was into monochrome that day)! With the leftovers for the next day, I thinned it with a bit of milk, and with a hand blender, pureed it. Voila! A cheese and cauliflower soup.

I think this weeks experiment is definitely going to have me readdress my usual grocery buying. It also has got me excited about shopping locally, as I now know that who cares if meat is half the price at stop and shop, if I only really need half the amount, I can spend the same at our local place. We really have been conditioned to think, “It’s cheaper therefore I can have more and ta-dah, my life is better” when really that means: too much food so overweight or unhealthy or spoilage and waste, too many things so pack it away and pile it up in your house and then toss it into the landfill, too many clothes that you don’t wear or are shoddily made and last a few months and get tossed out etc. Waste Waste WASTE! And really, I thought trying to do away with such things would mean living a dire monk-like existence of self-sacrifice, but really, it is just a matter of rethinking our life in terms of what we eat and use and then it is an easy pattern to get into and I don’t feel as if I am being deprived of anything.

I think the other main thing I have realized with this project is that we, humans, are a people of habit. Get us into a groove and we just go with it and it seems normal or as if we have always done it. So, changing the pattern to better save money and cut down on waste and help your community and give a blow to the consumer culture is not so hard. And, one you begin you will get into that human groove of habit and it will become rote. If many of us began doing this, we would really realize the power we do have over our economy and our lives.

Now, another thing I have noticed this week is my attention to waste in other areas of my home. I was using the dryer this week (as it was too rainy to hang out clothes and I have not yet, in the new house, made a place to hang indoors) and hand the lint in my hand and was about to toss it out when I realized, “Why am I throwing this away?” Here is a great soft wad of cotton and wool fibers, beautifully washed and dried, why toss it. I thought how this could be used to stuff a toy ( I know I have heard that it can be flammable, but again I think we can just be safe and wise with it with children). It made me think of all the little things I just toss out without thinking. I already have began to save glass jars from bought items to use in canning and storage. But, something like dryer lint you don’t think of, but it really is a nice soft clean wooly product. I found some interesting uses for it online and one sounds rather fun: clay. I borrowed this recipe from a random blog and hope they won’t mind my posting it.

Dryer Lint Clay

Ingredients

Here's recipes for making clay out of dryer lint.

• 1 1/2 cups lint from the dryer
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 drops wintergreen mint flavoring
• Old newspaper
• Paint

Directions

Place the lint in a saucepan and cover it with the water. When the lint is saturated, add the flour and stir until it is smooth. Add the drops of wintergreen oil flavoring. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms peaks and holds together. Pour it onto newspaper to cool. Shape and model figures, or cover a form with it, such as a balloon. Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days, then paint and decorate as required.

What a fun thing to do with kids, or for me as an artist. And we had talked about Christmas decorations before, and if you don’t have family heirlooms and you do want to make a new theme each year, why not make it out of this clay and other ‘left over’ items?

I am sure there are countless other uses. I used to felt things and was wondering how it would work for that.

I met an older woman the other day who approached me to say she loved my outfit (dress, hat, vintage purse you know the usual for me). We began talking about various things and I mentioned how I was trying my VICTORY WEEK. She mentioned something they did in ‘the old days’ to conserve things. She said, of course, everyone wore stockings and when they were beyond wearing/repair they used them to stuff toys and also, I thought this really cute, as a soap minder. They would save up hand soap when it got too small to use and would just melt away to waste and collect it up in an old stocking. Then you tie it off and all the bits are held together with the stocking and you can still wet it and use up all the soap until it is gone and of course you can hang it up to dry in the bath, so the soap doesn’t deteriorate away, how clever!

Well, how has your VICTORY WEEK been going? Any of you finding you need more food? Any of you who have not tried it, are you tempted yet?

I know  I have been remiss in posting photos of me. I have had my hair cut shorter in September, into a 1950s pageboy. It makes it easier to curl and style. I wear mine often with brushed forward straight bangs, but curl those as well, depending on the day. I will get some photos. I am going to try some more sewing today and will post some pictures of the dress I plan on making today.

Keep Homemaking and Apron Revolutionizing!

20 October 1955 “Schedules Interrupted, The Value of Things and Canned Salmon-YUM! ”

I have had a rather busy week with out of town guests, my hubby had a few days off, and we had some family visits, and while all of it was fun, it does make a homemaker’s schedule get a little off track. Of course, in so doing, it just goes to show how important the schedule is, in the first place. There were still complete meals made, there was ironing, there was cleaning and desserts, not in there normal pattern of course. It did help me though appreciate the mother’s out there. It also made me realize for those mother’s who are not able to be a SAHM, it must be so hard. My heart goes out to them.

The chaos that must exist with children must only be compounded by 12 hour work days, day care, and rush rush rush. I have to say, were we ever to make that final decision for a child, there would be, for me, no doubt that I would have to be a stay at home. I can’t imagine any proper boundaries, stability, or calm without one bread winner, one homemaker. That is not to say it cannot be done by others, so please don’t misunderstand and think I am condemning those who do it otherwise. But, for my and my personality and what I have come to begin to expect of myself, my home and the overall quality and tranquility of my life, I would need to be there for the child.

This would probably be me with my daughter more than this image. In the previous pic daughter dresses like mum while in the second pic mum dresses like daughter.

Perhaps, it is just a childless view and you with children would like to tell me different (which by all means do!){Don’t you adore that hint of petticoat though? I love the detail in something only seen with a breeze or sitting a certain way. It tells of an importance and value to small special things.}

That does lead into my subject I had begun to think about: The Value of Things. ( I inadvertently published my rough of this idea on yesterdays post and removed it, though I am sure some of you saw some random paragraphs that made little sense!)

For me, it all started the other day when a little porcelain figurine fell from my new box of Red Rose tea. I had not bought Red Rose tea in awhile and when I opened the box, the little figurine fell out. It was a nice surprise and it got me to thinking. Before all the mass production (though it was starting in 1950s-then Japan was as to today’s China for mass produced cheap products even the first Barbie Dolls started in 1959 were manufactured there)things, items had a different value. Objects; Possessions had an entirely different meaning.

I remember a scene from Ethan Fromme, Edith Wharton’s tale of the hard life in rural New England, made by PBS. It is actually a really good adaptaion to film. There is a scene when they drop and break a special pickle dish that the main character and his wife had recieved on their wedding. When the main character’s wife, Zinnia, finds out that it has been ‘put back together with the gluepot’, she exclaims, “Not even when the minister himself came to dinner did I take this out of it’s cabinet”. To modern ideals, this would seem silly. Simply pop down to any local shop and grab a new one for $1.00.

So, initially, when we think about this we feel what I believe consumer culture wants us to feel: “Oh, who cares, we can live better and easier, no worries or frets the way they did in the old days, break it, lose it, smear it with dirt, we can BUY MORE!”

Well, there is some truth in that. We are not as some may have been at grandmother’s house, not allowed to touch. Not forced to sit and behave or to, really, care for things. But, I am again beginning to see how this sort of thought not only leads to our continued casual attitude towards buying and spending, but to how we treat not only our things, but one another.

Now, surely is there a parallel between a broken pickle dish and hurt feelings? I don’t know? Maybe. I know with the internet peoples attitudes and anger towards one another is so easy now. You can say the most hateful, hurtful things with no consequences at all. So, how long before it seeps into actual face to face attitudes. And, in fact, at ‘big box and chain stores’ I see horrid behavior all the time. We are not dealing with the local man or woman who owns a shop that we see at school or church or community functions, just endless people in matching shirts with name tags to whom we pelt our bad attitudes and anger because we are not ‘being served as we DESERVE’.

I have touched on this before in this blog, the way we, particularly Americans I find, have this feeling that we, when we are consuming, DESERVE so much. We are becoming a nation of spoiled brats who, when not served immediately or how we think or with the BEST PRICES we stomp are feet and act in a way we would have been punished in kindergarten.

Somehow, what started as a way to look at our children and our lives as easier and not ‘so stuffy like the old generation’ has lead to our current state of mindless tantrums, endless spending and piles of ill made things, easily replaceable so therefore ill-treated!

I have seen this often in adverts pertaining to children, the dirty sofa, the filthy rug, who cares, just wipe it up with this product and this throw away paper towel. Why treat your child to respect the furniture, wipe their feet and have consequences for ill behavior, such as running in the house with muddy feet or throwing a plate of spaghetti at the wall. How do these children grow up? I know how, into generations that think they can do, spend, behave, waste, ignore and have tantrums as much as they want because THEY are the most important thing and THEY deserve to be heard. Look at our politicians and various ‘news programs’ of yelling and accusing and really gossiping people. I honestly am beginning to feel as if the world is being run by great grown babies who better get what they want or else!

I can see this idea really starting now in my 1950’s magazines. I found this advert for aluminum that at first seems innocent enough. Certainly, the ad with the crayon drawings aren’t saying don’t scold your children for this, but it is beginning to show that maybe ‘who cares’ the lil’ scamps, it’s easy with modern technology to wipe it clean. The same for the little boy, of course boys will be boys and you shouldn’t hang from the window, but with the strong new technology, it won’t hurt it. Here, I see a promise of a freer childhood and less stressful life without as much worry, but really this is sort of idea that has lead, I honestly believe, to our current state of no consequences, we can buy new, wipe it under the carpet, no worries.

I think this generation, the war generation, really bought into this idea and liked that their children could live in a world more free and less restrictive. They had fought and lost so much in WWII and the world had changed. The old ways seemed bad to have lead to what it did, so permissiveness and lax attitudes were beginning towards children. The very way of raising kids were brought into question with modern psychology and Dr. Spock. Yet, in their zealousness and love for their kids and for all things new and better than the bad old past, they started something that I think has not turned out as they had hoped. Of course, human nature stepped in and mixed it up a bit and the intentions of  safer more loved children has turned into our generations of people unaware of consequences or real responsibility for their actions.

So it seems odd to me that our modern world, which has  so many things and are over-filled on items and products and stuff, value it so little. Our free time with time saving devices seems to not be realized. We have so much so easily and yet treat what we have so poorly, that certainly we must not care that much for it.

Back to the little porcelain snow man from the red rose tea box. He had a certain quality to him. A special feeling that was imbibed from knowing I would have to wait until the next tea box came out and/or I ran out of tea. I toyed with plans in my head to build a little knick knack shelf for them in my kitchen. There it became a little goal for me to work towards: not just a thing piled with countless others in unopened drawers.

In a way, the acquisition of things in this old way, through patience and work, makes not only the item have importance, but the process. Then, my modern self popped in and I checked ebay and of course there were many sets and varieties of the figurines to be had at very little cost. But, were I to do that, to just order a bunch of them, they would mean very little. They would indeed just sit in the back of a drawer and collect dust.

Now, when I see things held dear and passed down over generations, they had a sort of spirit or joy to them. Rather it was a well known oil painting a well off relative bought on the grand tour or an impoverished old aunt who, though she had very little, saved a few cents from her pin money to collect up those spare buttons and collect some little china figurines. Some how, having everything cheap and available makes everything, well, cheap and available. It’s intrinsic value that we perceive as a human is skewered. Rather than our need for things going away and we just being happy with little, our innate “want to have” goes overboard and we are left with acres of things:plastic toys to recapture our youths, endless items piled and piled, closets full of cheap clothes worn once or not at all. In this way, the item almost has more value than the person. When the item was hard wrought few and meaningful, it reflected in our opinions of ourselves.

There seems to be, then, more of a backlash than I originally thought concerning our ideal of “buy more its cheaper” and the over production of  cheaper goods. I know it hurts local business and of course the environment through the endless garbage, but it also hurts us: People.

We don’t care about one another as much because we also don’t care for our the things.

I just really feel as I approach the end of the year, all the various ‘realizations’ I have come to in 1955 are starting to come back together and form the intricate pattern that is really the root cause of our country’s problems. The economy, the environment, our weight problem, our community relations or lack there of each other, the seemingly two-sided fight of democrats and republicans: It is all part of this same idea, this same concept. We must not have too much too easily and without consequence. We must treat one another and our things with care and maintain them and care for them and not feel they are disposable. We must think and act accordingly and know there ARE consequences for our actions.

So, more things cheaply is not only bad, it is the very poison in our society. We want to have an evil that is tangible: A person or a group of people to point the finger at when really, it is all of us. We are the problem AND the solution and unfortunately I think only if we each consciously make the decision to not buy buy buy and to make the things we do have more well built and then take care of them, we will continue down this path, but even though we are told we can go on forever like this, lower prices more products better life, I feel we are heading to a horrible conclusion.

So, when we hear such slogans as “Save Money. Live Better” we can understand that it is a lie. Spending wisely, supporting locally, and always asking why and caring for what we have, that makes a better life, not a simple trip to the local shop.

Well, that is enough of my soap box banter-onto the kitchen and VICTORY WEEK:

I purchased two cans of canned salmon as part of my weekly groceries. I know, when the week is done, buying local fresh fish might be more, but will help my community and I can simply buy less. This week, however, is about trying to use less so here are some fun recipes for canned Salmon. They are from my 1950’s magazines, so they are not war-time recipes, so you can use them as you choose. I am going to make the soufflé, but am going to only use one can of salmon and some other filler to stretch my food out this week. I hope there is enough left for hubby, as it is using up two of my precious weekly egg rations.

They can be clicked on and will be large enough to read and print out for your own recipe boxes. Let me know if you try any of them and how they work out.

18 October 1955 “Modern Frustrations and Victory Week”

I had meant to post this blog yesterday, but instead was given another reason to be frustrated with the modern world. Our Internet service, which is through Verizon ( a loathsome company) was shut off. There was a mix up of course which resulted in hours on the phone, being transferred to various locations et al. All very frustrating. It is sad to me that even if one wants to be a compliant little middle class family, paying their bills on time and being good citizens, we are still suffered to the whims and failings of a company SO big, that it has customer service in India, Tech support in Mexico and Billing in who knows where. So, due to their error, I am still left without internet until this afternoon, so hopefully I can publish this today.

It made me again realize how the small local store/ company is such much better at customer service. If a local shop treated me the way this company has continually treated me, they would not last long. If the town heard of ‘Mr. Jones’ treating someone poorly, or suddenly adding services to my account, it get around town and he would have to deal with it. There is a certain level of community and resp0nsibility connected to local business that does not need to exist on the level companies currently are run. What could I do? I could NOT have internet, but then how would I do my project and continue to build my relationship with all of you. I hate feeling so trapped by such poor service knowing there is little I can do about it and will have to deal with it again in the future! I am planning on trying to find a new provider, but know I am merely exchanging one headache for another.

This post was originally entitled, “The Value of Things” and now as I am adding this addendum about my internet service, I realize how fitting it is. Truly, the value of a person today, in our present world, is merely there pocketbook. We are simply consuming machines that are so dependent and so plugged into the world, that we can be fed horrible service with endless ‘hidden fees’ and we just take it and move on. The percentage banks charges for overdrafts (which happen now because they will allow someone to use their debit card for greater than the amount they have in the bank and then charge up to 200% interest, that is worse than the MAFIA). I was offered today, during my ordeal on the phone, to be given the ‘convenience’ of having my account automatically taken from my bank or credit card. I can see how this would so easily add up to young people. They are taught nothing about savings and therefore just use their debit and credit cards without paying any attention to what they actually spend. It would be so easy, then, for a company such as Verizon to tack on (as they did to me but I was able to call and ask why)services here and there without the young person knowing. This adds up, gets to be a late charge, they are allowed to charge whatever they like for interest add to that the interest from the bank and is it any wonder there is so much debt? But, the easy answer of “Don’t Spend More than You Have” becomes cloudy and gray. A young person today really has no idea of money. There is very little cash, so much is used in debit/credit card form and late fees and eventual college loan dept is all des rigueur for our young generations. It makes me so worried and fretful of our future economies!

Now, onto victory week. Being unable to connect to all of you, I hope those who wanted to start it this week are still on board. Here is the list of my costs for my week adhering to my list.

Bread (one loaf)                                                                 1.79

Meat (30 oz. roughly 2 lbs)

      pork loin 1 lb.                                                                 3.29

      chicken thighs 1lb.                                                        2.99

Butter (two sticks-this was on sale this week!)         1.00

oil (12 oz)                                                                                  1.95

Bacon  (3.29 a lb I purchased 1/2 lb as indicated)  1.65

Eggs (one dozen local eggs)                                               3.00

Potatoes (5 lb bag on sale this week!)                            1.99

Milk (half gallon)                                                                     2.29

canned fish (2 cans of salmon)                                          3.98

Canned Veg (3 cans .69 cents ea)                                     2.07

Fruit (five apples)                                                                    3.00

Snack (one bag popcorn)                                                      1.99

Fresh veg (I was given fresh veg from farm)                   0

Flour (5 lb bag)                                                                           2.50

Sugar (1/2 of a 5 lb bag)                                                             .99

Oatmeal (steel cut rather expensive but good, 1 lb.)  4.99

Jam (homemade)                                                                           0

Chocolate (one 8oz bag of choc chips)                               1.99

Golden Syrup (16 oz.)                                                               4.79

                                                                                                          _______

This made a total cost of                                                       46.25

My normal weekly bill is between 40-50 for the two of us, so I believe this was due to the fact that I bought baking ingredients for this specific list and I bought from the local meat market so that was higher than usual. Now the test will be, using less, but buying local, how will it affect my weekly cooking. We shall see. It definitely would be highly impacted by having my own chickens, as eggs are such a good source of protein and such, but then their feed would need to be added into my monthly budget. So, how did everyone else fare with this shopping list? What did it cost and are you nervous about the this coming week’s menu?

My original post about ‘value’ I will put off until tomorrow, as I am going to post this as soon as the internet is back on. For those of you not participating, how do your food budgets compare? Do you shop for the week? Do you shop daily? Share and we can learn from one another.

             

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16 October 1955 “Suspenseful Film with Robert Mitchum, Modern Magazines vs. Vintage”

The film, Night of the Hunter, came out 29 September this year. It was based on the book of the same name and was based on a true account.

I had spoken briefly about how modern movies tend to be more about the gore and no imagination is used, just gratuitous shots of people being cut up. This movie was a thriller and film noir. It is very scary to me even today. It used camera angles, dialogue and music to make the suspense and I am sure was shot for what was considered nothing today. If you would like to see it, the movie in its entirety is on youtube HERE.

I recently received another package in the mail that I was excited about. I periodically will find a batch of 1950’s magazines at a good price and when they arrive boxed up at my post, I am like a kid, rushing to get home to tear it open. Then, however, I begin to savor it. I make a pot of tea, perhaps grab a little snack and settle into my favorite corner and begin the perusal.

I noticed again this time that these magazines, compared to modern women’s magazines, are so full of useful information. For example my Better Homes and Gardens is PACKED full of recipes and real articles that speak to a homemaker to help her along the way. Today, such magazines are merely giant adds. I was sad to see that Better Homes and Gardens now is just that: a giant ad. It is filled with pages of how your home ‘can look’ and guess what? You can copy it down to a tee, all you have to do is go to Wal-Mart and buy all the items they used to decorate the rooms in the magazine’s pages. For anyone with an ounce of brainpower, and we know we homemakers are not idiots, can see that this is merely a ad disguised as a magazine. It made me furious to know this! ( A homemaker can get her dander up!)

How low and how deep into our lives will they go to sell us things! I have even noticed many blogs are starting to have an odd cadence about this product and that with links to the products page. Have they even begin to throw pennies at us to invade our own personal journal/blog space? Is there no decency? Are we truly are nothing but walking consumers?

In my vintage magazines there are plenty of ads, don’t get me wrong, but they are not disguised as stories or features in the magazines. That sort of subtle manipulation, to me, borders on evil. And if you have a fine product, then by all means advertise it and we may want to buy it. When we are brainwashed and lead into a world where everything we do is proceeded by trips to large chain stairs to get it done, that is very scary to me. But, I digress, no tirade today.

So, both as an example of this and to also share just a small portion of the rich and varied information found in my vintage magazines, here are some of the items in just one of my ‘new’ better homes and gardens from 1950s:

I love this article as it accepts that fact that the homemaker and her family can have the skills to remodel their own home. They do not have to always rely on outside expensive help. This article was printed so you could cut it out and remove the holes and place it either in your own binder or that of the better homes and gardens home remodeling book. SO, there is a tie in with advertising, but it gives you information and the ability to choose rather or not you want to purchase the book, even if you don’t here is some great information. That advertising somehow seems more honest to me.

These should be printable at a readable size if you want to print and keep them in your own home-manual book. I was thinking that might be a fun project we could do for one of our “T0-doing” weeks. We could make a three ring binder to start collecting up ideas that we can share for running our homes. Our own hand-made Homemakers manual! We could decorate the covers an such as we please. Again, if I can master this website building and can get my site up, that would be a great thing to share, we could upload pics of our own versions of our homemade Homemakers Manuals, fun fun fun, Gals!

This next bit is also from the same issue and suggests you cut it out and place in your Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Again, they are using advertising here (and really mid 1950’s this is really starting) to show how nice it would be to have the cookbook, yet here are recipes for free and you can choose to use just these.

The feathery fudge cake is actually already in my old addition of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, so it must be a later addition. This is my ‘go-to’ cake when I know I need to make something for someone and I want to make sure it turns out moist and wonderful. Those potato dishes look scrumptious, don’t they?

Now, I have had many people request old child care tips and things. Again, I have no children and therefore would never, myself, give advice, but every so often I come along some interesting articles. This article was from the same issue of Better Homes and Gardens as the above. I think it very interesting that posture is addressed as import to a child. Really, posture does affect our growth and certain health issues later in life. I am afraid that many modern children spend ALOT of time hunched up in front of computers, video games and TV. I don’t know if they even address posture in school anymore. I don’t even recall it back in the late 70’s early 80’s when I was young.

Those of you with children, is posture ever discussed? Is it part of modern child-rearing or do you know if it is addressed in schools?

I have to make another new foray in the kitchen in the making of pickles. I have often wanted to try this and Gussie (who works on a local farm) was kind enough to come home with a lovely assortment for me. So, I am going to begin sorting through my recipes and see what I can come up with. I will share results and recipes, of course.

13 October 1955 “Thrift and Budgets and Free Entertainment, Oh My!”

First, let me say that I think starting next Monday might be good for our VICTORY WEEK. If others have already started, great, let’s hear your results. I think there was some confusion about when to begin and I now have an out of town guest, so would rather focus on it next week, I hope this is alright with everyone.
Now, kids, settle into your desks and no talking or note passing, it’s educational film time. So, take notes there WILL be a quiz afterwards!
I thought it important that we watch this little film on thrift.

First off, there is a lot in this little film. I like how right off the bat this movie has our modern world down pat:  Jack (the kid in the argyle sweater) orders the biggest fanciest thing on the menu, and I couldn’t help but think of Starbucks or any chain restaurant like Chili’s etc.
Next, we see the following budget illustrated for the family. It does not show what they earn, but I found out that an average American middle class family in 1948 earned around $3,058  which is around 25,000 in modern money.  (that is according to an historical census bureau report for Median income of that year for a family with a non working wife.) When I add up this family’s  itemized budget (and we assume this allocating ALL of this family’s weekly amounts in the budget) that  this family is earning around 3,848.00 a year, so they are right in the middle and equivalent to today’s earnings of 35,000.  So really, that is an average lower-middle class income today as well, so to see what they allocate a week  SHOULD be comparable to today.
Food                                                        18.00
Household                                            20.00
Clothing                                                    8.00
Recreation                                               3.00
Family Welfare                                       5.00
Transportation                                       4.00
Benevolences                                          3.00
Savings                                                       5.00
Allowances                                               
     Father                                                      3.00
     Mother                                                     3.00
      Jack                                                          2.00

So translated for today, a family earning 35,000 a year should be able to use the following budget.
Food                                                         160.00
Household                                              180.00
Clothing                                                     70.00
Recreation                                                25.00
Family Welfare                                        45.00
Transportation                                        36.00
Benevolences                                           25.00
Savings                                                        45.00
Allowances
     Father                                                     28.00
     Mother                                                    28.oo
     Jack                                                          18.00
So, now with my inflation calculator I can translate this into today’s dollars and we can compare with our own budgets. Some of the numbers surprised me, but then I began to look at taxation in 1948 compared to today. It was rather interesting. Again, me a simple little homemaker who has to use a budget begins to wonder, where DOES all of our money go? I think once  such women would be involved in local government in hosting campaign meetings and having their voice heard for local and national politics.
I found this information concerning taxation in 1948 compared to today (2009) rather interesting.
In 1948 the average family of four sent just two cents of every dollar they earned to the federal government for taxes. Today a family of four sends Uncle Sam 25 cents out of every dollar earned. But that’s not where the tax bite stops. State and local taxes, sales tax, value added taxes, utility taxes, gasoline taxes, medical taxes and deductions, property taxes, telephone taxes—the list goes on and on.
The average worker in this country works until May 6 each year to pay off his federal tax, until May 23 to pay the taxes levied by Congress, and until July 3 to pay all federal, state, and local taxes. This means the average wage earner works more than six months of every year for the government before he can keep the first nickel of his personal income for his own use.
Of a family meal at a local restaurant that costs you $40, fully $11 of the tab goes for taxes of some kind. Federal tax, payroll tax, state tax, sales and use tax, unemployment insurance tax, property tax, business license tax and fees, telephone, utility, liquor and excise taxes, and more. But if the impact of so much taxation is hard on local businesses, it’s even harder on the families paying the bills.
In 1948 the $600 per child tax credit was equal to 42 percent of the average wage-earner’s per capita income. If that exemption had been adjusted for the rise in income over the years, it would now be worth more than $9,000 per child (42 percent of average per capita income). But the deduction, as a percentage of per capita income, has dropped precipitously from 42 percent in 1948 to less than 12 percent today.

Now, in the film we see Jack’s  ‘entertainment’ budget would be equal to today’s money $8.00. A child could not even see a movie for $8.00 today, which is ridiculous. It makes me want to say to big American films:” Yes, please spend millions on special affects and overpaid actors so we can use up our small money to watch you do it for two hours in a dark movie theatre! “
When I see these things I realize we can’t just say, “Oh, things were cheaper back then”, because they all were not. And when they were cheaper it was because what was charged is realistic to what you get. The expectation was equal to the cost. Today, we think nothing of plunking down 20.00 at a movie for ourselves. Think about it: even if you earn above my states min wage (which is currently 8.25 an hour I believe) say you earn 9.00 an hour.  You would have had to work your job for over two hours just to sit and be entertained and eat overpriced food in the dark for two hours. Is it a fair trade? Does the relaxation of such an endeavor make up for what you could have saved and possibly not had to work as much the following year?
This point is really driven home when next in this film we see Jack notice an advert for a local dance at the cost of $1.00. He realizes that is exactly his weeks entertainment budget, but he also wants to see a movie. So, he has to DECIDE which to choose. Today we would say, “Oh, go do both, you DESERVE it, you need a break, a chance to unwind after all your hard work”. That seems to be the biggest lure to our current spending habits. The idea that we DESERVE something when we can’t have it. What  this really means is we simply spend what we don’t have to feed a growing economy that doesn’t care about us, but the money in our pocket, so they trick us into thinking how much we DESERVE to spend our money on their entertainment, items, food, etc. And with credit cards and even Debit cards, its easy to overspend! Banks also want you to do overspend, because they make most of their money from fees.
Such a simple act as saying, “I have this much, so maybe choose one thing and save the rest” is not that grand of a concept, but boy do we not seem to get that as a nation! Even our own countries budget is an example of this type of living.
When the voice over in the movie exclaims, “Well, you can’t have everything you want” I almost laughed. So much of today’s advertising is about, “Having it all”. Even the lure of the big box stores is that you DESERVE to have it all, so buy it here, it’s cheaper. How about not buying it unless you need it or really want it.
I think we have become a nation of people who don’t even KNOW what we want anymore. We are so defined by our spending that we just think it is a normal part of the function of our day, like breathing and eating, we must shop. The joke saying that has been on everything from t-shirts to bumper stickers “I shop therefore I am” is so on point; so succinct to today’s culture.
When next in the film, Jack’s pen breaks he realizes he can just fix it and make do; there is another lost concept.  “Why bother,” says modern man, “ I’ll just go buy some new things, they are so cheap, right”? But, even if something is really cheap at Wal-Mart not buying it is still saving more than buying a replacement for it. Also, if it weren’t so cheaply made in the first place to make it so cheap, it would probably last longer!
When the narrator says, “Buying Cheap unsatisfactory products is NEVER thrifty” I had to laugh. Wow! That would never be said today. The very base of the big box stores is make it cheap so you can sell it cheap and it will break and you have to buy it more. I actually found out that at Home Depot they have the big name Tool manufacturers make a cheaper version of their tools so they can undersell the local hardware stores. The only thing, of course, is it will break faster than the local one made of better products, say metal where they would use plastic, and it would be easier to repair than the cheap one as well.
The more I realize how many layers of our current society is just built around the inability to not over spend or make a budget, the more I am baffled, especially when you see the answer is SO SIMPLE.
DON’T  SPEND MORE THAN YOU HAVE!
So simple, but we have been programmed, trained for many generations now that we must HAVE things to be happy. Our very self worth is tied up in our clothes and shoes and handbags, our cars and new TVs and computers and games and entertainment. But, the very root of it all, it seems to me we are really unhappy.  I know my 2008 self was COMPLETELY defined by my shopping and things. Was I happy? NO, and then when I began to do what we considered silly outdated degraded chores, I suddenly began to feel self-worth and happiness. I wonder why? Could it be that THINGS don’t make you happy? But, no one says it. Everything seems to be made to be more complicated than it actually is so we can’t just figure it our for ourselves. WE need more drugs to make us happy and more things! It’s too hard to just economize and save!
But, is it? Can’t we do without some things so when we do give ourselves the treat, like Jack and the ‘big game tickets’, it feels more special and fun?!
So, what can we do? I mean how do we stop it? I guess really, we just have to take our individual personal responsibilities to heart and look at our spending and our happiness ratio. I know we are just a small band of Apron Revolutionaries, but I think if we start in our own backyards, in our own personal budgets and work out, maybe we can make a difference.
So, how do your own family budgets compare? I am going to go over mine again and see. According to this, if you were a 35,000 a year family now you would be saving $180.00 a month from your paycheck and your HOUSEHOLD (which I am assuming is your mortgage, electric, phone etc) would only be $720.0 a month! Consider that with today’s over inflated real estate prices  in addition to the cable bill and the internet bill etc. plus the higher percentage of taxes paid out, it is a wonder that we can survive. Yet, what do we all do? SPEND.
I mean, when you look at these budgets we should have very little to spend on, yet we have new TVs and computers and phones multiple times a year! We spend on cars what a home would have cost. But, having never really been taught to LOOK at the budget and to SAVE, we just buy into it and end up in debt and then we need to save pennies after all our luxury goods so we go back to the big box stores and feed right back into the very problem we have made for ourselves. We don’t need a place to buy a flat screen TV for LESS we just don’t NEED to buy a flat screen tv or a new car until the SAVINGS comes first! I can’t tell you how eye opening this little movie was for me.
So, we may not be able to affect the insane amount of tax we currently pay (which I would not even be angry about if it were allocated for the benefit of all Americans, like Healthcare and education instead of an insane welfare system that only keeps people in the system) but we can affect our own spending. I am going to sit down and go over my budget again and get it right down to the penny. Then, it will actually be EASY. I will know I can only spend an exact amount each week for my entertainment and if something comes up, then I will decide what is more important that week, a little less savings or the item or show or maybe, I could find a cheaper or free form of entertainment. So much of our modern entertainment costs money. What entertainment could we think of this week that is low or now cost? Cards, Sewing/knitting bee, coffee and sweets at home instead of Starbucks with friends? Let’s hear it ladies, free entertainment ideas and I want to know how this 1948 budget fits with your own families? Let’s talk about this, I am curious about budgets and spending and modern entertainment money being spent.